Are Ghanaian Parliamentarians Serious At All?

I have very often been cogitating about whether Ghanaian parliamentarians are seriously working in the best interest of Ghanaians and the nation or they are in parliament only, or mostly, to pursue their parochial political party and personal interests. I have been observing their attitudes with a bit of concern and wonder how they are serving the nation, if they are serving the nation at all.

When I compare the Ghanaian parliamentarians, especially when they happen to be the minority caucus in parliament, with their counterparts in the advanced or seriously progressing countries, I wonder if they actually understand their role of serving their constituents and the nation at all. They are mostly permanently criticising the policies and programmes by the sitting president and his ruling party in government, regardless of how good or bad the policies and programmes happen to be.

They do this with the intention to make the ruling party unpopular so as to get the Ghanaian electorate to vote her out of power. Sorry to say, although it is a fact, that Ghanaian eligible voters who happen not to be always politically savvy but easily persuaded and misled, fall for the lies and propaganda spun by these dubiously selfish and seemingly myopic parliamentarians.

However, in the advanced and continuously advancing countries, the parliamentarians in opposition do not always rubbish or oppose all the policies and programmes put forward, or initiated, by the government in power. They seriously assess how good or bad such policies or programmes will be to their constituents and the nation to vote on them. If the policies are good, they vote in support of them despite the policies being the initiatives of the ruling party. They place the collective interests of the people and the nation before their personal interests. No wonder that their nations and the circumstances of their people keep getting much better all of the time.

The reverse is true for the Ghanaian parliamentarian or politician. The ensemble of the Ghanaian parliamentarians, whether they are in opposition or not, do place their personal interests and that of their political party over and above those of their constituents or the citizenry.

For their resolute determination to get their party into power, especially when it is in opposition, the Ghanaian parliamentarians in opposition will criticise the ruling government and her policies even when there is absolutely no need for that. They will always be on the mission of painting the government darker than it really is or appears.

On the other hand, those whose party is in government very often become a rubber stamp, supporting and voting for every government policy and programme even if they may not be best to serve the people well.

The opposite is true with their colleague-parliamentarians in the developed world. If those in majority, thus belonging to the ruling party, find the government policies not to augur well in the best interest of the nation and the people, some of them may cross carpet to vote against such policies. This is how you see parliamentarians as living up to their role for which they were voted.

Let me limit myself to the United Kingdom where I reside and am familiar with how the parliamentarians conduct themselves. Each parliamentarian conducts a periodic surgery where they meet those in need of some assistance of some sort, and are from the Member of Parliament’s constituency and have booked appointments to see the MP. This role is in addition to their principal functions in parliament where they serve the collective interests of their constituents, the citizenry and the nation.

The MP holding a surgery in their constituency is to listen to the individual constituent who may have a housing, immigration, etc., issues and how best the MP will help them get over such problems by way of the MP advising the individual or writing to the offices concerned on behalf of the individual. Is this not about serving his constituents? How often do we see Ghanaian MPs doing this apart from probably attending funerals, weddings or even not visiting their constituency until another general election is about to take place where they may need the votes of their constituents?

Being more specific, even before the Finance Minister, Rt. Honourable Ken Ofori Atta, had gone to parliament to read his 2022 budget when the NDC Members of Parliament were heard saying, they will oppose the budget. True to their words, no sooner had the budget been read than they started going on rampage, hurtling from one radio station to another granting interviews to broadcasters about their collective resolute determination to oppose the budget no matter what.

The British MP, whether in opposition or not, will first assess any proposed government budget or proposals to see how best they will serve the people and the nation before casting their votes, unlike how Ghanaian MPs do as is unfolding following the reading of the 2022 budget a few days ago.

No wonder that I personally have no respect for most Ghanaian MPs, politicians and leaders. They behave as though, they have no brains in their skulls to think rationally as elected officials with a duty to serve their nation and people in absolute honesty. They always place their personal and party interests above that of the citizenry and the nation. How disgusting they are!

The least said about the collective disgraceful attitudes by the Ghanaian MPs, especially when they are in opposition, much the better.

They should bow down their heads in shame, especially, the current NDC MPs and the current Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Honourable Kingsford Alban Sumani Bagbin, who may not be very conversant with the constitution and the rules of parliament, if he is not doing so by mischief.

In all, it is the Ghanaian electorate that I will blame for being amenable or so easily misled to believe the lies often spewed or told by some MPs and political parties, especially the NDC, to retard the economic development of the nation.

Until Ghanaian electorates become politically intelligent, they will continually be fooled by selfish MPs of whom those in the NDC have excelled with distinction and decorated with accolades of lies all over their body.

The author, a proud and fearless son of Kumawu/Asiampa in the Ashanti region, will always boldly express his views no matter how they will hurt others, as long as such views are nothing but the gospel truth backed by documentary evidence.

Rockson Adofo

Sunday, 28 November 2021